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(Pre VAT and NBT)
Registration fee per participant for Individual or groups of less than 5 – Rs. 14,400
Registration fee per participant for groups of 5 or more and up to 9 – Rs. 13,680
Registration fee per participant for groups of 10 or more – Rs. 12,960

VENUE & DATE

8.00AM – 7.30PM, Wednesday 3rd May 2017 – OAK Room, Cinnamon Grand

LBR LBO Brand Summit - “Marketing is dead, now what? Building Brands in Post-Marketing Age

LBR LBO BRAND SUMMIT – PROMOTING BREAKTHROUGH CRITICALTHINKING

LBR LBO Brand Summit has been broadening the critical thinking of business executives by providing a platform for provocative, inciting and insightful debates and discussions on building resilient, strong and future-ready brands.

For the fifth consecutive year “Lanka Business Online” (LBO) will be hosting the annual LBR LBO Brand Summit. Once again, on a stimulating theme – “Marketing is Dead, Now What? – Building Brands in the Post-Marketing Age”. The Summit is equally useful to practicing marketing professionals from corporates, other business professionals, academics and research, and those who serve in NGOs, think thanks and public sector.

This year’s theme is of pronounced relevance and vital importance in today’s context. The concept of marketing – as a business philosophy and a business function- is being challenged by mounting human, social, technological and ecological trepidations.

On one hand, technological changes are impacting consumer behavior in such a manner that the established marketing tools and models widely used by marketers around the world are in danger of becoming irrelevant and obsolete. On the other hand, technology is enabling marketers in multiple ways: greater insights of customer behavior, near real time visibility to consumer conversations, economical and impactful consumer engagements transcending various boundaries, among other benefits.

Session Introductions

The last quarter century has seen the emergence of new challenges of anthropogenic origin to human civilization, including some serious existential threats. Intensified globalization has brought societies together in an unprecedented manner. The resultant proximity and interconnection has not necessarily made the world a better place. Norms and ethos of society are fast changing, and so are consumer preferences. Digital technology, which has been sweeping the globe for over two decades, has caused disruptions to all aspects of human life.

In this context, is marketing as a business “philosophy” still highly relevant, or is it becoming irrelevant in the face of mounting upheavals. The same factors and trends are also altering the composition and dynamics of the marketing ecosystem. Hence, will marketing as a business function- advertising, distribution, promotions etc.-as we know it, come to an end? If so, have we truly reached a “post-marketing age”, and would conventional marketing still be relevant?

Digital has also given birth to the “age of the empowered consumer”. Consumers are no longer willing to be passive participants of engagements designed by the marketers. Instead, they want to be co-creators of the brand experience and narrators of the brand story. The company-centric approach of managing a brand as an asset, thus may not resonate with the modern consumer. Building breakthrough brands would require intense customer-centricity and resonant brand experience.

Session 1 – purpose

The purpose of this session is to challenge the concepts, principles, functions and practices of marketing that have prevailed since the World War II, and to encourage participants to rethink marketing as both a business philosophy and a business function.

What does the new brand-marketing landscape look like? And what are the challenges and opportunities in creating and nurturing brands in the post-marketing age? What are the areas marketers should focus on in building transformative breakthrough brands?

Digital and social media marketing campaigns are generally centered on the tactical delivery of brand content, often repurposing advertising on conventional media. While it may be serving certain purposes, such an approach is weak in generating radically different new values, as it fails to fully leverage the true transformative potential of digital.

Marketing in the digital age is about leveraging digital to a greater understanding of the consumer, and to build distinctive and deeply engaging brand experiences. Such an understanding will help to realign enterprise capabilities to serve the needs of consumers in a more relevant and profitable manner.

Digital marketing is largely efficiency-oriented and company-centered- while marketing in the digital age is consumer-centric- and is about achieving effectiveness and advancing business results.

Digital marketing generally follows the journeys consumers have created themselves, while marketing in digital age is about proactively shaping customer journey to create greater value to customers and gain a competitive advantage.

Session 2: purpose

The purpose, meaning and the strategies of “digital marketing” and “marketing in digital age” are vastly different. Often, companies tend to focus mainly on digital marketing of tactical nature, and are indifferent to the strategic and competitive advantages that can be accrued by rethinking the purpose and function of marketing in the context of the evolving digital landscape.

The session will help participants to differentiate the two approaches – digital marketing and marketing in digital age – and guide them in building brands in digital age.

Traditional marketing assumes that cohorts and clusters targeted in marketing efforts are homogeneous. Thus, the same customer experience (CX) would have an equal appeal to every member in the target market. This assumption is not without flaws. However, in the absence of a better model, this “Cookie Cutter” CX has prevailed, as personalization of experience mass-scale was not possible.

Digital on one hand makes the traditional practices less relevant to the customer in the digital age and on the other hand offer opportunities for designing breakthrough personalized customer experiences.

Digital –which is challenging the traditional assumptions, strategies, structures, and economics of marketing- is making the traditional touch points less valuable than before. One assumption that is being seriously challenged is the shopper mission. The shopper mission of exploring and discovering is seemingly shifting to one of transacting. This is probably because social and peer references are gradually taking precedent over traditional messages fabricated by marketers. Ubiquitous instant messaging and social references, while being less intrusive, seem to be much more influential than in-your-face advertising bombarded through conventional media.

The power of digital to make the traditional customer experience obsolete is well evident in the mobility space. Traditional taxi services are losing share to PickMe and Uber, which offer a personalized, much more convenient and transparent service by leveraging mobile, analytics and cloud computing.

Session 3: purpose

Traditionally, in most of the product and service categories, customers didn’t have much choice in enjoying an experience that is tailored to meet his or her personal wants, tastes and preferences. The customer interface of products and services have been standardized to benefit from the cost advantage of economies of scale. The lack of timely, accurate, reliable and dynamic information on customers, and the absence of an enabling infrastructure to design and deliver personalized services are the other factors that stifled innovation in customer experience, and compelled the marketers to offer “cookie cutter”, “One size fits all” customer experience.

The session will enlighten the participants on the opportunities that digital is offering to build personalized, on-demand customer experiences.

Detailed profiling of individual customers- by fusing data submitted by the customers themselves and behavioral data gathered through digital means – is now possible. The application of advanced predictive analytics to such data, together with the ubiquity of digital, will enable the future of customer experience – Hyper-individualization.

A recent Google Research Study estimated that over 90 of all media interactions today are screen-based.

The traditional television viewing experience has given way to a multi-screen environment in which people, programs, and screens are mobile—viewers can consume video content whenever they have access to a computer, mobile phone, or television set.

As consumers balance their time between smartphones, tablets, PCs and televisions, they learn to use these devices together to meet their goals.

Are we seeing the terminal-age of viewership of linear television? The proliferation of channels and diverse content on one hand may drive content consumption, yet on the other hand it certainly is leading to further fragmentation of audiences, making building reach for campaigns increasingly challenging. Media clutter and diminishing product differentiation too render traditional TV less effective. Thus, doubts have often been cast regarding whether TV advertising is still getting enough response to justify the considerable costs. Meanwhile digital, which has made content ubiquitous, is unshackling audiences from the tyranny of conventional TV. The snacking of short format video on social media is chipping away the share of conventional TV. Since multi-screen behavior is quickly becoming the norm, understanding it has become an imperative for businesses.

Will the passively delivered pre-fabricated brand messages (advertising including native advertising) continue to get the response they used to get in the past, in a world where the Internet is increasingly becoming the first port of call, brand differentiation is increasingly becoming difficult to establish and media is highly cluttered.

People are more receptive to authentic content that is relevant to their needs and adds value to their lives, than towards a sales pitch in the form of scripted advertising.

Content marketing is the creation (preferably co-created with consumers) and distribution of high-quality information that attracts and engages audiences online. Information that is contextually relevant to consumer needs. Content marketing through participatory and collaborative creation builds a sense of ownership and results in greater consumer affinity, deeper engagement and business results.

Ever since the advent of the Internet, the content consumption behavior has taken a seismic shift. This has opened a vista of new opportunities to engage consumers with relevant content.

Thus, it is a strategic imperative for brands, big and small, to develop comprehensive content strategies by leveraging digital with an aim to connect with consumers on a deeper and more committed level for the long-term.

Session 5: purpose

The session aims to help participants learn:

The difference between native advertising and advertorials, and content marketing

Content marketing as a source of social currency and practical value to consumers and a builder of emotional connection.

Download the Booklet from here.

Download the Mobile App from here.

Download “LBR LBO EVENT Companion” from Google Play or Apple Store. The mobile app, developed by CAKE LABS, gives you easy access to all the important information on the Summit. You can use the mobile app to post questions and comments on each session.

Session 01 – Building breakthrough brands in post-marketing age

Is marketing as a business “philosophy” still highly relevant in today’s context or is it becoming irrelevant in the face of mounting human, societal, technological and environmental upheavals. The same factors and trends are altering the composition and dynamics of the marketing ecosystem. Hence, will marketing as a business function- advertising, distribution, promotions etc--as we know it come to an end? If so, have we truly reached a post-marketing age, where the value of traditional marketing is diminishing? If so, what does the new brand-marketing landscape look like? And what are the challenges and opportunities in creating and nurturing brands in the post-marketing age? What are the areas marketers should focus on in building transformative breakthrough brands?

Sunil Sethi

He has over 28 years of fast moving consumer goods experience and brings in broad-based expertise in the areas of strategy, operations & business development. Having worked across Asia Pacific, Sub-Sahara Africa and some Central Eastern Europe markets, he brings in a deep understanding of consumer, customer, trade & cultural nuances.

Vikas Mehta

Vikas has worked with the global MullenLowe Group since 2006 in various leadership roles. He’s lived in India, VietNam and Singapore; and managed agencies|businesses across 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Panel discussion

Session 02 – It isn’t digital marketing; it is marketing in digital age

Digital and social media marketing campaigns are often centered on the tactical delivery of the brand content, sometimes repurposing traditional advertising. While it may be serving certain purposes, such an approach is low in generating radically different new values, as it fails to fully leverage the true transformative potential of digital. Marketing in the digital age is about using digital to listen to consumer chatter, observe consumer behavior and gain a greater and deeper understanding of the consumer. Such an understanding will help to realign enterprise capabilities to serve the needs of consumers in a more relevant and profitable manner. As such, digital marketing is largely efficiency oriented, while marketing in the digital age is about achieving effectiveness.

Charulata Ravi Kumar

As the CEO of Razorfish India (www.razorfish.com), she takes on the role with in-depth understanding of the India market. Her main goal is to ensure Razorfish India remains the destination for smart, curious, creative and entrepreneurial-minded people, and to further strengthen Razorfish India’s existing core competencies.

S02K02 – Jonathan Bonsey | Chairman, Bonsey Jaden

20 mins

Jonathan Bonsey

Jonathan has over 20 years of brand and strategy development and design experience in Asia, Europe and the US. After 5 years as Managing Director at Addison Design in Singapore, and 3 years in San Francisco, Jonathan branched out to set up Bonsey Design in 1993, and has led his team towards award winning designs across the Asia Pacific.

Panel discussion

Traditional marketing assumed homogeneity of target markets. It is expected that the same customer experience (CX) would have equal appeal to every member in the targeted segments. This assumption is not without flaws. In the absence of a better model, this “Cookie Cutter” CX has been prevailed. Digital has forever transformed the traditional strategies, structures, and economics of marketing. The traditional touchpoints through which brands even a few years ago reached consumers are being pushed away. Detailed profiling of individual customers- by fusing data submitted by the customers themselves and behavioral data gathered through digital means – is now possible. The application of advanced predictive analytics to such data, together with the ubiquity of digital, will enable the future of customer experience - Hyper-individualization.

S03K01 – Himalee Madurasinghe | CEO, KANTAR LMRB

Himalee Madurasinghe

S03K02 – Kanishka Weeramunda | Founder, PayMedia

20 mins

Kanishka Weeramunda

He started his career in the corporate world as an IT Officer and with time rose to become the CIO of a leading private sector company, Laugfs Holdings, a diversified business conglomerate in Sri Lanka and ventured in to his own business predominantly in Banking and finance sector.

S03K03 – Jiffry Zulfer | CEO, PickMe

20 mins

Jiffry Zulfer

A serial entrepreneur counting 16years of founding and successfully running several technology-based ventures, Jiffry Zulfer currently has himself invested in the most successful tech based business solution in the country! As the Founder-CEO of PickMe – a ground breaking technological intervention to an everyday problem

A recent Google Research Study estimated that over 90 of all media interactions today are screen-based. As consumers balance their time between smartphones, tablets, PCs and televisions, they are learning to use these devices together to meet their goals. Are we seeing the terminal-age of viewership of linear television? With the proliferation of channels and diverse content, it perhaps is still growing. However, doubts have often been cast regarding whether TV advertising is still getting enough response to justify the considerable costs. Meanwhile digital, which has made content ubiquitous, is unshackling audiences from the tyranny of conventional TV. Snacking short format video on social is chipping away the share of conventional TV. As the multi-screen behavior is quickly becoming the norm, understanding it has become an imperative for businesses.

S04K01 – Irene Joshy | Regional Qualitative Director, TNS APAC

20 mins

Irene Joshy

Irene has over 17 years of research experience. She started her career as a lecturer at Mumbai University and has since worked in reputed market research agencies like IMRB International, Indica Research (Ipsos) & The Nielsen Company.

S04K02 – Farhan Qureshi | South Asian Frontier Markets, Google

15 mins

Farhan Qureshi

Farhan is a communication/media strategist with over 15 years of relevant experience gained from working directly in diverse markets (US, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). His expertise and skill set covers all facets of communication management with special focus on the consumer goods, banking, media, airline, and telecommunication industries. Key achievements that differentiate Farhan from others are:

Kamal Amesur

A digital native since 1999, Kamal is a Chemistry graduate but the catalysis that spurred a complete shift in his profession were the creative equations that kept running in his head. With a PG Diploma in Graphic Design he sought to make his mark in design and advertising. With 16+ years of experience he can unabashedly say that he has the insights coupled with a keen understanding of the digital consumer which helps him to translate ideas into effective solutions.

Panel discussion

Tea/Coffee Break

Session 05 – Content is king, let’s light the bonfire

In a world where the Internet is increasingly becoming the first port of call, will the pre-fabricated stories (also known as advertising) continue to get the response they used to get in the past? Should not marketers draw from storytelling tradition, which is perhaps as old as the human civilization itself, and create “story brands”. Tell, or ideally co-create, a story to deliver the type of information buyers want to consume. Technology takes the story telling tradition to a whole new level - enabling people to engage, interact and co-create stories. Content marketing through participatory creation builds a sense of ownership; greater consumer intimacy, affinity and engagement; and business results.

S05K01 – Santosh Menon | MD, BBDO Lanka

20 mins

Santosh Menon

Santosh Menon is referred to as the ‘Green MD’. He conceived the idea of making BBDO Lanka Asia’s first carbon neutral advertising agency. And pioneered the first ever billboard that actually cleans air.

S05K02 – Navonil Chatterjee | Chief Strategy Officer, Y&R

20 mins

Navonil Chatterjee

Navonil has close to 16 years of experience in advertising across various clients like HUL, Levi’s, Nike, Madura Garments, ITC & Titan. Navonil entered the industry as an over-enthusiastic management trainee in McCann Erickson Bangalore in 1998 and moved to JWT Bangalore in October 2000.